Secrets

Yet another brilliant collection of stories by one of Indiaƒ??s best-loved storytellers, Secrets is set in Ruskin Bondƒ??s beloved Dehradun, circa late 1940s. Very typical to his style of writing, the readers can soak in the picturesque views and the warm, sleepy and quaint surroundings of Dehra in this book as well.

Rusty, all of thirteen, would often stay at a hotel called Greens at Dehradun, where his mother worked. Times were tough because India had just become an independent nation, and amidst this scenario, events started unfolding in and around the hotel, forming the crux of this book.

Around hundred and fifty pages long, this book has seven short stories. Over The Wall is a touching tale about a young man named Mr. Johnson who contracts leprosy. A story with a happy narrative that is bound to remind the readers of their notorious childhood days, The Canal is about an old lady called Miss Gamla who becomes hostile towards a gang of boys who bathe in a canal close to her house. Gracie, the third story, is a sentimental tale of a Dehra girl who marries a British Army soldier and moves to London. These first three stories are written in the typical delightful Ruskin Bond style.

The next four stories have a crime and detective element in them. At Greenƒ??s Hotel is a mystery story of a dashing, young Army captain who is seemingly a courteous man but goes to late night movies, thus arousing great suspicion. The Late Night Show is about a murder that happens during a late night movie show in which Ruskin was present. In The Skeleton in the Cupboard, as the title suggests, a mysterious skeleton is found in a cupboard and the story unravels the secrets behind it. And the last one, The Tiger in the Lounge, is a racy story, pulsing with excitement and terror.

Ruskin Bondƒ??s books have consistently been simple yet appealing and Secrets is no different. The realness of the characters and the gentle surprise element in this book makes it a must read for everyone who wishes to be transported to a different time altogether.